Just Another Day In Paradise
by a-bit-of-this-and-that
Summary: Jurassic World was far from perfect, but it did run (relatively) smoothly for ten years. Top-of-the-line staff called Isla Nublar home, happy to live on such a beautiful island and work on groundbreaking projects. Before a hybrid dinosaur got loose, paradise was normal. Examines the life of characters (some we know, some we don't) before the I-Rex... (will catch up to the movie).
1. Chapter 1

WELCOME BACK  
 **"I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order."  
** **-John Burroughs**

Water, blue and sparkling, lapped at the shore not so far off.

Andrea could not help but smile at the sight- she'd been away from it for a while. Two weeks may not seem so long, but after spending that stretched of time in soggy Michigan, where patches of snow still clung into April, the bright island of Isla Nublar was a welcomed sight. It was no vacation- she was back here to work. She was glad to have returned home.

She had just taken the ferry in, so she wasn't back to working yet. She'd only come to stop-in at the Innovation Center to greet her department head and see if she'd missed anything that hadn't been in her e-mails. Dr. Robin McRae had been happy enough to see her, chatting animatedly about the goings-on in the Botanical Department.

"You know," Dr. McRae ended the call that had pulled her from conversation, distracting Andrea from the sight of the park below. "Want to grab dinner? I can get out of here, and we'll chat about your trip home?"

"Sure! If you're ready to leave..."

"I was winding down, and these e-mails can wait 'til morning."

Andrea waited for Robin to pack up her slim work bag and they left the sprawling, glass building together. Dinner with her supervisor would not be a strange affair- it had happened before. Robin was easy going, and she was a boss willing to go into the field now and then, so she was close with many of the other employees.

The women made their way to one of the hotels to have a quiet dinner at its restaurant. The more bustling areas of the resort had their positive points, but for a nice chat it was always a good idea to be away form more of the high traffic areas.

"So you've gotten the work news; what's _your_ news? How was the family?"

Living far from home on a remote island off of Costa Rica meant that visiting home was usually quite a production- certainly not a common, quick trip for most. Because of this, plenty of Jurassic World employees were seasonal, and many researchers were experts in the field who rotated in and out. For the rest, Isla Nublar was home. Some employees- _lab researchers and department heads, predominantly_ \- had penthouse suites in the resort hotels, while many of the rest had small homes in the NorthWest of the island outside the public park. That left most seasonal workers to the dorm-style living quarters off behind sight of the water park.

It was an organized, functioning set-up for living and working in the same island. It was also quite secluded, so vacations out were generally of note.

"Good. It was nice making it home for Matt's graduation- the family was already together, so I got to see everyone."

"Baby nephew, too, right?"

"Yes, and I'm in love- I wanted to smuggle him back here in my carry-on," Andrea laughed and accepted her drink from a waitress with a smile. "He was the hardest to leave- how weird's that?"

"Baby's are like that."

The older woman was a mother or two, so, even though she was laughing a little, Andrea didn't doubt her word on the topic.

"So he was amazing ...everyone fawning over him and Matt. I think I win the graduation gift giving, though," the young woman grinned. "I told him I'd bring him out to visit the Park this summer."

"He didn't come in the Fall with your parents?"

Robin couldn't quite recall.

"Nope- he couldn't miss school for it."

"It's only high school." Robin scoffed with a laugh.

"I know, but he was playing football.," Andrea shrugged. "Maybe he was banking on a parent-free vacation if he came out later."

"He knows his sister"

"Yeahhhh...I hook a friend up"

"Well, great! Bring him by. I need to meet the whole Seaver clan"

"We're good times," Andrea nodded agreeably. "Hey...isn't that Simon Misrani?"

She was distracted from the topic altogether by a passerby. Robin twisted, short brown hair swishing quickly, and caught the back of the small group.

"Probably gearing up for more fundraising this sumer."

"Oh, right ...I've gotten the e-mails."

"It will be a topic at the department staff meeting this week," Robin divulged. "Welcome back."

"And Intern season is upon us!"

Andrea's cheer was a little fake and it showed.

"Hey, we haven't lost in the intern pool yet."

Even as she reminded Andrea, Robin tapped a knuckle gently on the table to ward off jinxing her department. Just in case.

"True"

Andrea could not deny the words. InGen always had a lot of applications for undergraduate internships in the summer, so they were always able to pick from bright students at top schools. Still, there were always a few duds, but their department had been lucky. In fact, the intern they'd had two summers previous now worked in their department. Andrea had lobbied pretty hard for him- not only was he a brainy wiz-kid, but she got along great with him and that was important when out in the field with someone.

"So stay positive- no bad karma at internship time."

"Sorry, sorry- I forgot ...God, that really is next week, huh? Goodbye, Spring."

Time flew on the island- or seemed to, at least. They were always so busy that something was always happening. It was fascinating work, though, so it was worth a chaotic week here and there.

"No kidding ...without Casey making her plans to come out for the summer, it snuck up on me this year."

Robin's oldest was a college senior and had her own internship. Casey didn't like any sort of hard science, so she was uninterested in any interning work that her mother could have helped her get.

"Is she more excited for the internships or bummed she's missing her usual island summer?" Andrea grinned.

"Both? She'll still come for a week or so in August- she wants her boyfriend to come, too." At this bit, Robin rolled her eyes high.

Andrea snorted.

"And?"  
"And my Ex is appalled at the idea of them spending a week in the topics together, so I'm tempted to invite the boy," Robin grinned in an almost feral way at the prospect of this. "But I want daughter time ...maybe he can come down for a weekend."

"Best of both worlds," Andrea raised her glass to salute.

"We'll see..."

Their food came shortly and let them continue conversation easily. They oscillated between personal and work casually.

The restaurant grew busier the longer they stayed but wasn't quite packed yet, even when they left.

"Perfect idea," Andrea smiled when they stepped outside into the warm evening. "Now I can get back, unpack, and get ready without cooking."

"Have you stopped back to your place yet?"

"Nope"

Andrea thought of the slight mess she had left in in her room in the process of packing- she'd have to take care of that now.

"Do you need a ride?"

"Oh, no- I left my Jeep in the staff lot- my bags are already in there."

"Gottcha"

They headed to the lot behind the Innovation Center, the park monorail running overhead.

"Seaver!"

"See you, Andrea," Robin grinned.

"Bye ... ...hey!"

After a quick wave, Andrea turned her attention to greet the man who was nowjogging over.

"Hey, where the hell ya been, stranger?"

"Just got back from my mainland vacation."

Owen Grady pulled a face.

"Where?"

"Michigan- Battle Creek. To see family," she explained.

"...you never said you were going back home..."

"You never asked," Andrea tried to mimic his tone.

She didn't see the trainer every day, anyway, and she certainly didn't have to answer to him. They weren't even in the same department.

Owen nodded, apparently unable to fault her logic.

"...true enough. So, when'd you get back?"  
"3:30 Ferry, _mother_."

Andrea swatted his arm to tease him for his nosiness.

He rolled his eyes, slumping his shoulders into the action.

"Well, I hadn't seen you, so I thought you got lost on a flower expedition and needed me to call Search and Rescue," he reverted seamlessly into teasing.

 _"Flower Expedition_ ," Andrea scoffed. "I hate you."

"Nah, you don't," he fell into step with her when she resumed walking to her Jeep. "So ...family reunion? Hot cousins?"

Andrea wasn't hesitant to dismiss this.

"None that would have you. What're you doing up here, anyway?"

Owen avoided labs and offices as much as he could manage.

"Mandatory meeting- went long."

He didn't look amused.

"Aha ...so, better yet: did I miss any good gossip around here?"

It was a vast island of many employees, but, being insular, word got around and live-in staff were usually at least familiar with others by name recognition.

"Same old."

He shrugged, uncaring. He was not big on idle gossip concerning people and things he had little stake in.

"You're a useless source of intelligence, you know that?"

"Your friends are all safe, and mine are in one piece," he offered. "As far as I know..."

"That's something," Andrea granted him.

"So, really, was it a good trip?"

"Oh, yeah," Andrea smiled brightly.

It caught, and Owen grinned, too.

"I'm glad."

"Me, too ...it's good to be back, though," she admitted.

"Obviously," the man waved a hand around. "Morning swim tomorrow?" he stopped by the back of her red Jeep.

Andrea sighed.

"You're going?"

"Uh-huh"

"...if you swing by, I'll be on the front porch if I want to go. Otherwise, don't you date knock. I'm tired."

He gave this a few moments' thought before he could decide to her terms.

"...I can resist that temptation."

"Great. See ya"

"Later, and welcome back."

He headed off- _\- Andrea supposed to his motorcycle-_ and she climbed into her jeep so she could hurry home and try to get all settled.

..

Staff living in the NorthWest of the island had Bungalows built along the beach or paddock clearings amongst the trees. Small bungles of homes were groups all over the quadrant in what were essentially mini-neighborhoods. The homes, were nothing overly extravagant- VIP workers had pagodas near the Ferry docks if they didn't want hotel suites- but were fully-furnished and comfortable.

Island homes in the North varied in size; Andrea's was a cozy single. Hers was a light teal with a square, cobbled bring patio before the brown front door. The back had the real deck, small but overlooking the beach. Inside was a snug living room, connected to a descent kitchen and dining area big enough for a two-chaired table. A small hallway next to the kitchen lead to bathroom and bedroom.

Her bed and its fluffy comforter was alluring as she hauled her luggage inside, but she had things to do first: pick up and settle-in. So she could get back to real life ...which happened to be on a tropical island.

Though she'd been there a few years, it still sometimes struck her funny that she _vacationed_ in Michigan and returned _here_.

Most did that the other way around.

What a life.


	2. Angel Trumpet

**2\. ANGEL TRUMPET**

"Just like a flower poking through a sidewalk crack, you steal away the rain. And just like that: you make me smile." **  
** **'** ** _Smile'_** **, by Uncle Kracker**

 **.**

Fresh, white morning light was peeking through the slatted blinds when a chime went off to signal the morning alarm. A tanned arm quickly poked from the comforter to snatch the cellphone creating the offending notice. Andrea grumbled and shifted where she lay, thinking carefully about her morning. After a few minutes of contemplation, Andrea tapped a few buttons and returned the phone to her night stand. With that, she rolled over and drifted straight back to sleep with no further thought.

When the chiming tunes went off again an hour later, Andrea shoved herself to sit up finally. She didn't have much choice but to get ready for the day. Vacation was over.

As she did not expect to go in the field that day, she opted to slip on a plain gray, cotton dress with a light cardigan- it was nice but simple enough to sit through a meeting in. Paired with flats, it was perfectly comfortable. She took time to throw on make-up and tame her blonde hair before heading out to the kitchen for cereal and, most obviously, to make coffee.

Bowl in hand, Andrea munched on her cereal and went to peak out her front door. Sure enough, leant against her mind-hued siding was a black and yellow mountain bike that she did not own. Owen had, indeed, biked over from his place up the hill to swim at the Northern inlet behind the section of houses there at the beach. Perhaps Collin, another man who worked at the raptor pen a few houses away, had joined, but Andrea had chosen sleep.

She smiled upon seeing the bike, or, rather, the stemmed flower tucked lightly between the handlebar and brake lever. A light yellow Angel's Trumpet- _Brugmansia_ **,** _but Owen had said that was the uppity science name_. She had mentioned before, in passing, that it was one of her favorites. She liked their delicate petals and the way they changed color the longer they'd been bloomed, and she'd spouted some historical knowledge about Shamans using them to gain access to other worlds. Owen, however, had gotten more caught up on the part about some species being smoked as drugs, at which point Andrea had called him a child and stopped.

That had been some time ago when they'd happened to be out in the field together, but more than once he'd taken note of them bloomed here or there and pointed them out. Still grinning, Andrea unlocked her front door so she could pluck the flower up and bring it inside.

She shuffled to the back deck and peered out along the beach. She did not _see_ Owen ...perhaps it would be a while before he was back in.

Andrea did not suppose that he wanted a flower in return, so she poked around her kitchen. She didn't have much, what with having only just returned from vacation, but she dug up some food. Carefully, she balanced some granola bars on his seat and slid a small bottle of orange juice where a water bottle should go on his bike. It wasn't much, but it would have to do.

As she finished her breakfast, she knew she probably should have forced herself out of bed to go for that swim. She'd been pretty athletic through college, and she'd made a point of getting back in shape when she got this job after graduate school. Some of her work was in the field; she needed to be able to get work done while she was out there. So, she promised not to shirk a next offer- she couldn't let sedentary time int he lab outweigh activity and effect her field work.

 **But** , today was an office day. Owen could go run around with his raptors; she had to head toward the middle of the island toward the Innovation Center. She did just that once she filled a travel much to the top with more coffee.

* * *

"Hey, An!" Spencer smiled form his desk when Andrea entered their side of the 8th floor.

"Hi, how's it going?" she leant on the corner of his hightop desk.

"Good. It'll be better when you give me my Michigan souvenir," he smiled boyishly.

"I mean ...I brought some mints back from Matty's open house, want those?" Andrea snorted. "I don't generally buy gifts from Michigan."

"...I thought we were friends."

"Shut up. What's the gossip here?" she demanded.

"I helped Dr. McRae go through some of the biology intern applications last week. There were some good ones- course we don't know who will get in our department yet..."

"Aw, little Spence is helping pick this year's interns. Remember when that was you," she crooned.

"Yes, because it was recent because I'm younger than you," he did not give into her teasing.

"I'm not old yet," Andrea frowned- she'd been lucky and this had been her first real job out of graduate school and she was the next youngest in the department ...which made her like Spencer's arrival even more. "What else?"

"...Dr. Thurman threatened to quit."

Andrea did not know the paleontologist personally but recognized the reputation. She was a pretty important name.

"Why?"

"Haven't heard- just know she got in an argument upstairs with the geneticists," Spencer shrugged and stood his all, lanky frame since they should make it to the corner conference room soon.

"Sounds serious..."

"As long as it doesn't spread to our floor and Dr. McRae wants to leave or something."

"Hah ...that Botanical Garden is her baby. Robin's not leaving. I mean, c'mon- she sleeps in the greenhouses on cool nights..."

Spencer chortled along with her logic and they found seats for the staff meeting.

"...alright, everyone's on time- thank you. Let's welcome Andrea back," Dr. Robin McRae started off the meeting.

Andrea met her small volley of waves with a smile.

"First things first: interns. We're for sure getting two, possibly three. Mia DaMateo and Christian Blakeman- Juan will be sending you summaries of their resumes; we won't count on a third yet," she gestured to her administrative assistant. "I expect we'll all be welcoming and help show them the ropes. We all know the drill. A couple days will be slow, but they'll catch on."

There was a general murmur of agreement in the room; no one seemed overly negative. Their own Spencer was, after all, proof that interns could work out.

"So read up on them- they'll get in this weekend and start next week. Questions?"

As interns were fairly routine, there was not much else to say.

"Alright, the bigger news right now is fundraising. The park is gearing up for some events here on the island, and they're getting more serious about all departments being represented at these events. Donors want to know what's happening, and we want our faces out there."

"Do I need a suit?" Spencer frowned.

"That wouldn't be a bad idea"

"Free dinner, Spence," Abagail told him from across the table.

"And," Robin sighed, "a chance to educate them on the work the Botanical Department does- the Garden is growing and the Bamboo paths are popular, too."

"Plus," Jerald, one of the PhDs and field leads, grinned. "Everyone at these galas wants t' hear from workers who get out in the island among the animals since they only ever see from a distance."

"An excellent point," Robin nodded. "We all know some of the other departments garner more of the public eye: T-Rex, for instance ...or Mosasaurus."

Everyone nodded.

"Show-offs," someone muttered.

"All brawn," Abigail agreed in a regal sort of way.

"Anyway," Robin smirked but did not encourage, "our work is just as important, specifically for the herbivore habitats- just not as ...flashy. **But** our division gets in the field, and we can capitalize on that."

"Park policy," Jerald grinned.

"Give the people what they want," Spencer and Andrea suggested together.

The assembled group laughed.

"Does anyone _disagree_ with drawing attention and interest any way we can?" Dr. McRaie called them back to topic.

No one argued, so the room fell quieter once again.

"Thank you, so let's be serious. Nothing in this park is cheap- we need to be represented the right way at these sorts of functions; lasting interest means funds."

"Hey, I think it sounds fun," Andrea commented fairly.

"Free food, free food," Spencer repeated to himself in encouraging fashion.

Andrea elbowed him.

"I'm not asking for a lot of work on this," Robin continued, trying to ensure her team was sold. "Some to an event- _yes, there's dinner and drinks_ \- listen politely, and mingle. Talk about work, tell some stories, and be personable.

"Hear that, Jerry," Juan quipped at the middle-aged botanist.

"I go over well with anyone who likes dry humor and course language," the Brit shrugged.

"What if they don't like Whiskey?" Andrea couldn't resists.

"Obvious sign of a cunt."

"I'm confident," Robin overrode these giggles, "that I can trust any and all of you to shine a positive light on my team."

"Yeah"

"Course"

"Just kidding, Dr. McRae"

"Don't worry, love."

"Good. We'll discuss who will go to what with you individually- that'll be based on work schedules, which is our next order of business..."

Dr. McRae turned to swipe a large calendar onto the projection screen behind her. It was time to merge everyone's schedules for the next couple weeks to make sure all projects were covered and/or coming along expectedly. It would eventually be an extremely full agent but highly organized with the long-standing color coded system."

"We scored," Andrea nudged Spencer as the meeting wound to a close.

They'd volunteered for a project beginning in the 9th Western quadrant to measure the continued development of undergrowth and record visible eating patterns. As not al species of the park were originally native to the region, they kept an eye on what natural vegetation was eaten compared to vegetation they introduced to the habitats manually. In addition, they recorded how foreign flora effected the natural ecosystem.

"For sure ... ...you know we'll probably have to take an intern with us."

"And maybe they'll surpass you," Andrea grinned.

"Maybe, but probably not," he was confident.

"Anyway, they have to pass a field training before they can leave the public-access areas- we won't get fresh interns out there on day one or anything," she shrugged.

They trooped across the lab from the conference room, and Spencer stopped at her long-neglected desk with her.

"So ...I really am nervous about the fundraising dinners. Is that stupid? Be serious with me."

He looked genuinely twitchy about it, so she didn't immediately rib at him.

"No, but it could be interesting. What's up?"

"What do I do there? What would I say to those people?

The truth- talk about your job! You've done a lot of fun things here. People will be jealous- Jerry's right, you know? People want to hear about the field."

"But ...it'll be some fancy things at one of the hotels or somewhere, and ...I'm just me," he sat on the corner of her desk looking incredibly uncomfortable.

He was not actually a child compared to Andrea like she liked to tease, but he suddenly seemed very young to her.

"Spence, it'll be fine. People will probably be _impressed_ your young and working here. I've been to a couple charity dinners here, and it's fun. As soon as someone knows you're an employee, they'll ask plenty of questions, okay? You hardly have to do any work- just talk . And also drink ...but always hold your drink in your left hand so you can shake with your right," she tacked-on. That's the best advice I've had for networking deals- from Jerry, if you can imagine."

"So he must not think you're a ...cunt," Spencer snorted even as he looked sheepish using the word.

"If I was Robin, I would **not** set him loose," Andrea laughed.

"Maybe I should go the same night as him- he'll distract from me," the younger man now chuckled along, too.

"Not a bad idea," Andrea conceded. "Don't worry about it, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah ...I've got records to catch up on," he rolled his eyes. "Glad you're back."

"Me, too," she smiled.

And Andrea meant it.

It was not strange or boring to be back. She had a good job and a family of coworkers on the island even though apart from her family back home.

So the smile lingered even as she got to work to look through her memos.

.

North along the island, Owen Grady was plopping down at one of the outdoor picnic tables with a last, unopened granola bar and a half-full bottle of orange juice. It was a descent, quick breakfast to scarf down. It would've been great if she'd set out a giant, chocolate chip muffin or something - _yum!-_ but he'd take what he could get.

"Think it'll be a quick one?"

The bench shifted under Owen when Barry sat down next to him.

"Good change"

A majority of their staff meetings were fairly brief. They gathered enough at impromptu times to has-out issues and rework schedules that long, scheduled sit-downs weren't always needed. It was the benefit of a small, close-knit group who needed to rely on each other.

"Alright, let's get started- I'll is on her way; she called," Curtis called them to order from where he sat on a truck tailgate that had been pulled-up.

Curtis was always at these meetings but stopped in regularly enough. He oversaw everything that went on with pre-display creatures, which included the raptors. While he kept everything in-line on paper and made sure the big picture was running smoothly, he trusted his trainers. He stepped-in if a division wasn't producing or pulling their weight, but he let everyone do what they did best.

"Does she get a demerit or could I have come late, too?" Collin snorted.

Curtis ignored him- the move he imagined to be simplest.

"I know you don't want to be here, so we won't be long, huh? Your leads have already turned in logs and agendas, so none of that to review- I trust you know how to keep to the schedules you've already agreed to. One point of interest: we're not taking an intern this summer."

Some cheers went up, and a couple people pounded on the table happily. They had had a couple duds quit on them in the recent past, so they'd pushed to skip the entirety of the intern process.

"I'm glad you're happy. Now we need to discuss the fundraising events already on the boos. Have you all read the e-mails?"

The man with the cropped, whitening hair got some nods but a couple shifty looks, too.

"Should I not have deleted those?"

"No, Grady," Curtis spoke over a few laughs.

"I assumed it was a marketing mistake."

"Well, I know I don't have to tell you what assuming does," the older man quieted the trainer. "No mistake. Corporate is involving more park staff in these events to let donors and prospectives know what we do here- keep their interest. Carnivores are popular," he gestured around the clearing in the _'no duh'_ way, "so no one here is immune."

No one seemed over the moon. Just his luck giving this speech to a group containing lone-ranger types. They were more likely to buck the system than hop in line...

Good thing he knew his crew here.

"I've put together a calendar of who will be attending which events," he passed around a few copies to the group. "Feel free to trade if you have to, but no passing of having any turns at all. Like I said: no one is immune. We all need donors. Any questions?"

No one seemed to have much to ask. Everyone seemed to gather that they'd been deprived the chance to bicker and try to beg-off this particular chore.

"It's not a joke?" Owen raised a last, hopeful eyebrow.

"No. A job requirement. Consider it included in the 'Other Duties as Assigned' portino of your job description. Smile, yeah?"

"...love it," Owen plastered a stiff, cheesy smile on his mouth.

A few other upcoming dates were discussed before they were dismissed. Owen greedily returned to his girls' enclosure- there were often surprises there, too, but he was actually in his element there.


	3. This is Who We Are

3  
THIS IS WHO WE ARE  
 **"Any time you talk to anyone about something that they love, they're, like, their most beautiful. It's a cool gift to get to talk to people about what they love."**

 **-Amy Poehler  
.**

Andrea paced a small circle in her kitchen, unsure if she should take a seat and calm down or head out now. She was dressed and ready to go, but she might be early if she left now. Then again, that wasn't the worst sort of impression she could make...

Decided, she stepped into her heels and snatched up her purse to head out the door and carefully climb into her Jeep. Apparently there would be cars to shuttle them home, but Andrea doubted she would need that particular service. She was sure the night would be fun enough, but not _that_ fun.

This Saturday was the first of the season's fundraising events, and one of the ones she was slated to attend. There would be others from her department there incase she got bored or the night was awkward, but Andrea was relatively optimistic. She drove South, leaning out her window to scan back into the main park, and headed to the island's largest hotel. The Hilton Isla Nublar Resort held one of the island's nicest conference centers and was going to be home to tonight's dinner. Andrea parked in its sleek back parking structure, checked her make-up and wavy blonde hair in the rearview mirror, and twisted out of her Jeep with a confident nod.

She'd do fine.

She strolled towards the structure's stairway exit, lingering to the side when another car was coming. The car she thought she heard turned out to be a motorcycle, and as soon as it rolled past her she knew who was parking their bike into a narrow space tucked against the stairway.

"Owen?"

He grinned as he swung off of his bike and let out a low whistle.

"You don't even like like you," he eyed her up and down. "You look good..."

"So...that's was actually an insult..."

"Wh-

"Shut up ...so you have to come to this fundraiser?" she cut him off.

Andrea couldn't help the surprise in her question, but she knew it would not offend Owen Grady in the slightest.

"Can you think of another reason I'd be at _The Hilton_?" he cocked one eyebrow and planted his hands on his waist as if to tell her " _get your head out of her ass, Seaver!'_ ...which, incidentally, was a thing he **had** said to her before.

"True enough ...so, what are you wearing?"

It was her turn to let him know that she was looking him over. He was wearing boots- possibly steel-toed- under dark jeans and a white t-shirt. All of these things appeared to be clean, but still woefully out of place.

"...this," he waved his hand down.

His tone suggested he thought she was a bit of a dunce.

"...no."

"If you want to see me naked, you can just ask," he easily slipped a cocky grin into his face.

"Perv," she jabbed his stomach. "You can't wear this in there..."

Owen rolled his green eyes at her.

"I'm serious ...The Hilton, remember? This is a nice gala."

"I don't even want to be here," he scoffed.

"I imagine"

"They're just lucky I showed, frankly," he finished.

Andrea didn't doubt that, either.

"Look, I've been to a couple charity dinners that the park hosts-"

"Why?" Owen asked incredulously.

"Because I'm a generous person?"

"Well, yeah- I give to charity at Christmas," he defended himself.

" _My point_ is that you'll stick out," she gestured at him, "and I know you already want as little attention as possible."

Andrea had known Owen a couple years and knew he was not a center-of-attention sort. He liked a party and all, but one with a handful of good friends, not a large group like this. No unknown crowds for him; he wouldn't want more eyes on him than necessary.

Indeed, he'd taken pause. His mouth tilted in a frown and eyes darted some in thought.

"It's not like I own a tux," he deflected.

"You're so dramatic. You don't need a _tuxedo_ , God," Andrea groaned and tugged on his arm. "C'mon."

"What?" he trudged along with her anyway as she continued to nudge him along back across the lot.

"Back to your Bungalow- you have a closet, right? I'll help you..."

"I'm not a child," Owen stopped and turned.

"So don't act like one," Andrea nodded and poked him back into forward motion.

Owen took another look at Andrea's knee-length yellow dress, her done face, and her high shoes. Maybe he _would_ stick out...

"Fine, _mom_ ," he grumbled and went with her obediently. "Keys," he cut her off with an outstretched hand as they neared her Jeep.

" _My_ car"

"Uh-huh. There's no way it's legal to drive in those ridiculous shoes. Gimme," he wiggled his fingers.

"S'matter with my shoes?" she nearly pouted, but she did give him her small lanyard.

Owen's eyes rolled high once again as he ushered her around the Jeep and tugged open the passenger door.

"Nothing. Just impractical," he shrugged and offered her a hand up because, seriously, how did girl not sprain an ankle frolicking around in high, thin heels?

"Thank you"

Andrea did not have qualms about letting him dive, even as he zipped them back to his place. He was a lot of things- _even a little crazy running around with raptors_ \- but he was trustworthy.

"So how late you think we gotta stay at this thing?" he checked once he parked in front of his porch.

"I don't know ...past dinner, at least."

"This is a multiple forks kind of thing, isn't it?" he nodded when he lead the way inside.

"Overreact much?"

"This isn't my _thing_."

Andrea didn't need that statement. _This_ , here at his Bungalow, was his thing: outdoors, tool sets, grill, a hiking trail in sight... some people wouldn't know what to do out there, but Owen was home.

"You're going to survive"

Owen quietly shrugged. War zones, he'd survived. He'd made it through encounters with various carnivorous predators. Somehow, the prospect of a ritzy dinner event and possible showboating still made him uncomfortable.

"Do your worst," Owen flung open his closet and then flopped onto the end of his bed.

"...do you have a suit jacket or anything?"

"Back," he pointed to the far left.

Andrea fished out a sports jacket and a thick, khaki sort of over shirt.

"Any ties?" she plucked at some button down shirts.

"I think I have one..."

He rose and dug up a black tie from a closet shelf with some belts.

"Might want to invest in a couple more if you're going to things like this ...and a couple dress shirts..."

His button-downs appeared to be all pocket-filled and made for utility.

"Maybe," Owen shrugged.

He knew who he was and didn't care how flashy or not his wardrobe was.

Andrea found a crisp white shirt with some buttons at the neck and freed it from its hanger.

"This fit?" she looked at the dark blue sports jacket.

"Should."

"Do you have any darker jeans?"

"Not clean"

Andrea rolled her eyes and tossed the shirt and jacket to him.

"Try that"

She retreated from his bedroom to the kitchen. Owen had forgone a kitchen table in favor of stool at his counter far, so she perched herself up on one. His place, she decided as she looked around, was surprisingly clean. It was cluttered in a way that showed it was very lived-in, but it was not _messy_.

"So do I pass?"

"...you'll do," Andrea assessed him.

The jacket could have been tailored or something, but he was showered, shaved, and now more put together. Owen Grady was good to go.

"That's all I get?"

He popped the lapels on his jacket and spun on his heel in a full circle.

"C'mon."

"Alright, alright- you look good. Ya know, _not like yourself,_ " she threw at him.

"Oh," he sputtered. "I didn't even mean that, and you know it. Let's go or I'm leaving you behind."

" _My_ car."

Owen simply jingled the keys- _her keys-_ \- on his finger and strolled out.

"Cocky fuck," Andrea murmured but followed after him because she didn't doubt he'd be willing to drive off down the road a ways and make her catch up, never mind her shoes.

"So ...a few hours. I can do that," Owen promised when they returned to the parking structure.

"I don't know why you're worried," she smoothed non-existent wrinkles form the skirt of her dress. "Everyone's going to love you once they know what you do here."

"Uh-huh ...they'll be talking about my girls like they're a freak show."

Andrea had to smile. Owen's dedication to his raptors was always endearing.

"I know what you mean, but the animals _are_ the reason people come; they want to know about them," Andrea reminded him needlessly.

"But they're not dollar bills and test tubes"

"I know"

"They breathe and think and learn."

"...i know."

"Peoples' dogs have personalities; it shouldn't be hard to understand these girls do, too," he was grumbling and finally handing her keys back to her on the elevator so they could enter the ground level of the hotel.

"Owen, I know," Andrea laughed. "Put that passion into explaining your work to the people in here."

"Ugh, they don't get it. You do," he sighed and propelled Andrea forward off the elevator ahead of him with a hand on the small of her back.

"Maybe that should be your goal here- to _get_ them to understand it."

He gave an agreeable nod, but Andrea heard him grumbling things like "stuck up" and "shiny" and "pointless."

They stuck together to fetch a drink as the stocked bar, but going to Owen's house meant they were no longer early so they had to go their separate ways to find their tables.

Andrea caught glimpses of him now and then, always chatting with someone. Owen was, indeed, slightly underdressed, but only so much so that it seemed to indicate he was park staff. Then, a couple hours after dinner while talking up the merits of the Botanical Garden to an interested couple, she couldn't find him ...and she didn't again after that. Clearly he'd ducked out; she hoped he'd at least enjoyed himself. As it was, Andrea stayed another hour or so before making her own exit.

Her night had been pretty good, all things considered. People were interested in her work, which was satisfying even if she felt slightly on-show or like she was bragging. Still, it was a good night out and many people _had_ seemed genuinely interested in some of what she had to say. A lot of people didn't give as much consideration to the scenery on the island outside of the dinosaurs, but a lot went into the rest of the island, as well.

Owen had probably had it **much** easier.

* * *

"Hey assholes"

Such was Andrea's greeting when she approached the raptor arena on Monday. She was on lunch and wanted to know Owen's final verdict on the fundraising gals.

"Hey, moron," Owen was the one to answer in return from where he sat with Barry, lunches before them on the table.

"How are the lizards this morning?"

"C'mon- _lizards?"_ Owen sighed.

"It's not entirely inaccurate, and _you_ call me Flower Girl ... you called me that the first day we met," she recalled.

Barry laughed aloud.

"...she's right," Owen conceded.

"I know," Barry chuckled.

Andrea felt free to join them. She did not know Barry so well as she did Owen- _Barry lived with his wife in an apartment in the safety of the park-_ \- but they got on well enough.

"What brings you by?" he greeted genially.

"Just on a long lunch while Spencer's showing around our interns. They're still doing some training, but they'll start with us soon. Your interns in yet?"

"We aren't getting any," Owen stated proudly.

"No way"

"Nope. We've had trouble with them in the past so we ...passed."

"You just passed?"

"Yeah, it's not safe. They only get, what, a few days training? That might be enough for the kids joining you our there _weeding_ , but not here," he smiled.

Andrea did not respond right away but grabbed Owen's sub sandwich off the table to take a few bites.

"Green olives- _eck_ ," she plucked one out of her mouth. "You should be nice to me, or I'll make sure it's Ward checking your paddock this season."

The paddock here was for carnivores, so it was not often meticulously checked for vegetation growth and interaction, but it was full of foliage. Therefore, botanists came through seasonally to check on things. Owen and Ward, one of the field botanists, butted heads. Ward was not intimidating or had any real power over Owen, but his presence would mean the trainer had a slow, aggravating day or two. Owen didn't like headaches.

"Don't _even_ ," Owen narrowed his eyes and plucked up her discarded olive to pop in his own mouth.

"We'll see ... ...so how'd your night go the other day? I didn't catch you again..."

Barry laughed and Owen sighed.

"What?"

"Dey liked him," the other man offered.

"Hmm?"

"I hardly stopped taking- you were right. Everyone was eating it up."

"So what am I missing?"

"I didn't like _them_ ," Owen snorted. "They were boring and stuck up and ...smarmy."

"I can see that," she agreed.

"But dey loved him and corporate will probably want him back"

"I have heard that Misrani sings your praises," Andrea smirked.

"Don't start with this shit," Owen growled.

Barry and Andrea laughed some more at his expense. Really, though, Owen wasn't so far off. Andrea didn't mind a reason to actually pull out a dress and doll up some, but this was more comfortable: khakis and a denim button-up over a plain tank-top with hiking boots. Field work: out in the sun with the plans and/or animals they loved.

This was what they were actually there for.

For better or worse, that was who they were.


	4. Trouble in Paradise

TROUBLE IN PARADISE  
 **"As soon as there is life, there is always danger."  
-Ralf Waldo Emerson**

Lush foliage of deep and rich greens surrounded Spencer and Andrea where they disembarked from their ATV. Now that the afternoon had truly settled in, the sun was high and the air was hot, so they were thankful for the shade of the trees. Light shone brightly through where the branches thinned, but they otherwise had cover from the sun.

"It's the perfect day for this," Spencer commented happily.

Andrea had parked their ATV, and the pair clamored out to collect some of their gear. For now they didn't need much; each had a backpack with tablets, classic notebooks, rulers, scissors, plastic baggies, and Andrea strapped a camera around her neck. These things with her jean shorts, t-shirt, light windbreaker, and well-worn hiking shoes meant she was ready for the afternoon. Spencer had lost his own over-shirt that morning, leaving him in khaki cargo pants and a short-sleeve shirt.

"Got everything?"

"I'm good," the younger man confirmed and tagged his baseball camp down securely over his shaggy brown hair.

Andrea nodded and unfolded their quadrant map from her pocket. The bend in the stream they were parked at helped to identify just where they were, and she uncapped a small marker to highlight the sector comprising the stretch of bank they would be examining jus then. It was quiet, save for the rippling of the shallow water and the sounds of some bugs and birds. They had passed a number of Gyro-spheres on their drive to this patch of woods, but those stayed to the plains and so there were not currently others around. Out in the secluded areas, it was easy to forget the island was a theme park at all- it often felt more like untouched paradise.

A perfect day, indeed.

They'd spent a couple hours slowly trekking along the stream back and outward from the water some. Through the brook was not as deep and bountiful as some of the deep lakes and wide rivers of the island, it was a water source all the same and therefore drew natural traffic. Such places were perfect for documenting plant consumption, so they recorded what plants were disturbed by grazing, and pictures allowed them o later check bite patterns for knowledge of what animals preferred what. Furthermore, the rich diversity of vegetation found along the stream beds gave them a chance to learn how different plant species from different eras and regions thrived (or failed) together.

"Whaddya think? Good for another hour or so before we head in?" Spencer checked.

"Mmhmm ..that works," Andrea glanced at her watch. I"m gonna grab a snack rom the cooler to make it through, though," she grinned and released hold of her camera to power it down for the moment.

"You read my mind. Dibs on the Doritos."

"...we need to be allowed to bring alcohol out here. Can you picture: toes in the stream and sipping on a Margarita...maybe some Micoceratus scurrying by..."

"Well, I don't do tequila, but I could go for a cold beer right about now," Spencer agreed with her sentiment. "Think we could get a poker game going, too?

"Sure. We'll bet ferns and flowers ...maybe some fruits. Everyone would totally be into it."

"Jurassic World Casino- how isn't that a thing yet?" Spencer realized with a laugh.

Andrea blinked at him.

"Are we allowed to branch out into business and copyright hat idea?"

"Jurassic World is probably already copy-written by InGen, so maybe a different name," Spencer signed thoughtfully.

"Okay, but ...it's genius. You're right- how is there not a casino in one of these hotels?" Andrea chuckled.

"I know ri-hello!"

The ground shook some as they neared their ATV, and momentarily a few Ankylosaurus plodded into view ahead aside the stream.

"Wow," Spencer breathed.

Andrea's soft smile mirrored the one that had spread his face. It was not rare to run into the dinosaurs while they were out in the field, despite that they came for the plant life. This was the animals' world, after all.

But most of the animals in this side of the island were of the 'gentle giants' variety, so the sight was not alarming. Humbling, sure, but also beautiful. Their angled heads and rounded snouts were sort of pretty, but their heavy armor and clubbed ails were serious, intimidating business- stout and wonderfully powerful. So they moved slowly as they continued to their ATV to retrieve their food. The animals were used to seeing gyro-spheres and safari trucks; they'd surely take little to no interest in their or their vehicle as long as they minded their own business.

Short, very low vocalizations from the creatures heightened the botanists' attention, however. Non-predatory herbivores they may be, but they were still large, wild animals. Through the pair had encountered them before in passing, they were not the handlers and did not know the creatures' habits or mannerisms.

"Think they're trying to kick us out?" Spencer asked curiously, only somewhat joking.

But the animals were not focused on either of them. They had yet to show an acknowledgement of the humans at all.

"Nah..."

Neither Ankylosaurus took seemed to have even noticed them yet. Still, the beasts were awfully mouthy to each other.

"Are you getting the impression they're... mad, though?"

Spencer wasn't joking that time, and Andrea could sort of see why. The deep grunts were short and quick; there was an aggressive air to it.

Then, just as Andrea was coming to this decision, one Ankylosaurous rammed its front shoulder into another, sending the second stumbling.

"Damn!"

"When you're right, you're right," Andrea nudged Spencer's elbow.

The aggressor rushed to spin around and face-off with the other. She backed up a few steps, and aimed a long grunt at its companion. As it did, it's tail swung up and then back and forth over their ATV.

"We should go?" Spencer muttered.

"Yup," Andrea's eyes popped wide. "Now."

This was the most frightened she'd been in the field in quite some time. Sure, it had taken some time to get used to seeing giant creatures roaming unchecked at work, but, over time, such a thing had become a little more par. Now, the dangerous reality was clear and blatant once again.

They stepped towards their vehicle for a quick exit but jumped backward again when that clubbed tail swung too close.

"Okay..." Andrea tried to calm herself, as she was the senior staff. "I'll hop in from this side and throw it in reverse. It can make it through the stream here- you just jump in."

"...right."

"Okay, then..."

It was a simple two-step plan, but it did seem daunting. With the armored tail hovering about, Andrea crazily imagined the angry creature playing Whack-A-Mole with her as the unlucky pop-up stuffed animal.

Before she could get into the vehicle, the angry animal's tail careened to the side and swung heavily back and down, nailing the ATV in the back wheel-well and tipping the whole thing onto its side.

"Ho, shit!" she tripped backwards but scrambled back up to her feet swiftly.

It was a good thing, as the Anklyosaurous growled and looked around, perhaps thinking that another animal had entered the scene.

The second creature took advantage and charged, swinging its horned head at the other. They began stumbling around, heads butting and heavy tails swinging. The botanists hit the deck in order to avoid the appendages. The air pushed its way out of Andrea's chest in a grunt at she gasped in awe and in fear.

"Up, up -go!" she hissed when the toiling duo turned in a way that meant no tail loomed over them.

They scrambled from the dirt and brush as the dinosaurs stomped around. Spencer darted to cross the shallow stream, so Andrea followed until a mighty splash altered them that the Anklyosaurous, too, had bumbled in the same direction. They dove down again, this time landing in the middle of the rocks amongst the water. Yet there was on time to complain or check for injury; they crawled from the water in order to stay low but not stay near those heavy, wide feet.

Loos rocks in the water and along the opposite bank meant their escape was clumsy, but the mad dash was ultimately effective. They sprinted off a short ways before finally stopping to collect their breath and wits.

"...that was unexpected," Spencer finally breathed.

They could still hear the grunts and groans from near the stream bed, so they quietly continued walking the other way. As they did so, Andrea pulled her now-cracked sunglasses from her face to stow in a wet jacket pocket. Her hands shook, and she registered a sharp sting in her arm. She raised it to peer at the back of her forearm, where there was now a trip in her jacket and blood soaked around it. She hissed through her teeth and prodded gently at the split skin.

"...ugh..."

"Are you alright? ...they looks kindda deep," Spencer assessed. "Do you think it's broken?"

"No," Andrea twisted her arm around experimentally. "I just must've caught it on something..."

It bled quite freely, so Andrea dug into one of her thin coat pockets to produce a pocketknife to flip open so she could cut some fabric free to use to staunch the gash. She was sorry to, for it had been a newer jacket, but she supposed it didn't matter now that it was ripped and bloody anyway.

"Hold up. I must have bandages..."

Spencer swung his pack off his shoulder and pulled out a First-Aid Kit from amongst his dampened things. It was nothing fancy, but Andrea let him wrap a length of gauze tightly around her forearm a few times.

While they were stopped, Andrea's head began to clear. Obviously, their ATV was out of commission back at the stream, but they ahd to get out of there somehow. Walking all the way back to the park seemed ridiculous, not to mention they might startled some park-goers in their Gyro-Spheres. Anyway, they had a radio to the Control Center. After Spencer finished, Andrea picked through her own backpack for the black, rectangular device.

Andrea had never had to use it much, but it was a field requirement. She twisted it on and held the side button.

"Control. This is Botany Department- Seaver, in the field."

 **'Go ahead, Seaver,'** a male voice crackled back.

"We're looking for a pick-up in Quadrant W10. Our ATV took an unlucky hit from an Anklyosaur."

 **'Copy that. Medical Extraction?'**

"Negative. We're fine, just stranded," she reported.

 **'We'll put out a call to see who's closest to you. Stand by.'**

They did so, continuing to trudge along while whoever was helping them in Control used another radio channel to check the area. The pair might have to wait a while, but it stood to reason that they'd have to get free from the tree cover to get picked up no matter what direction help came from.

 **'Seaver, this is Control. Someone's coming your way from the Raptor arena North. We've given them your quadrants and you can contact them on Channel 11.'**

"Thank you."

 **'They'll contact us if they have trouble finding you- we can watch the tracker from your radio.'**

"Perfect, thanks. I'll switch channels, then."

 **'Get back at us if there's a porblem. I'll make sure transport got the** ** _ping_** **that somethign happened to your ATV. Over.'**

"Over"

Andrea carefully switched to a different channel and was almost immediately met with a crackle of noise.

 **'-re, huh? Seaver; where you at!'** someone sing-songed.

"Owen?"

 **'Copy that, Sitting Duck. How many Flower Girls are you out there with?'**

"Me and Spence. Just us _scientists_ ," she rolled her eyes to join Spencer's scoff.

 **'Got it. Barry and I are on the way out.'**

"Great, we'll make out way out to the tree line," she reported.

 **'So that'll put you ...'** the line quieted and there was background static, **'In the 3rd section of the lot?'**

Clearly a map had been consulted.

"Sounds right," Andrea dug her own copy out- it was wet, now.

 **'Okay. Hold tight ...want some music?'**

Without waiting for an answer, the other end of the line was apparently shoved toward a radio speaker. The music was garbled, through Andrea thought it was definitely Aerosmith. Still, she turned it down because the static was annoying.

"At least he'll drive fast- I'm still hungry."

Andrea smiled some, appreciative of Spencer's valiant work to keep the mood light. Still, sh was fairy shook-up.

"Yeah, we'll get to the paperwork faster- incident reports galore, for sure," she jerked a thumb back towards where they'd come.

'But I'll eat first," Spencer dutifully remained optimistic.

"Alright then," Andrea grinned.

She could settled for his plan since they were both okay. Neither of them had been crushed in a Whack-A-Mole situation by a clubbed tail. Once their nerves calmed and they had a good night's sleep, this would be a good story to tell. An exiting tale in the saga of working at Jurassic World.

Soon, the trees began to thin out and they eventually came to grass, plains and lightly-sloping hills spread before them.

"Ugh, they can find us here," Andrea announced once they'd gone a few yards from the forest, and she dropped to sit in the soft grass.

Adrenaline was wearing off, so she felt tired and unwilling to pluck out a map and start hearing in the direction Owen and Barry were most likely coming from. She pushed her hands through her hair. It was tied up at the back of her head, but the loose, wavy strands loose around her face were wet with water ...as was half of her body. The heat of the place would probably take care of that sooner rather than later.

Spencer sat down near her, his lanky legs bent up before him. Quietly, he found his phone in this bag- it had water on it but had not been drenched to ruin- and called up Jerald to let him know what had happened.

"...uh-huh, uh-huh ...yeah, we're okay- a little scratched up, sure, and I think the work we got done is even fine. Just a broken camera..."

Andrea started at his words and looked down. She hadn't even registered, yet, that the camera around her neck was busted. She had apparently landed on it when ducking for cover because the lens was crushed, dangling down precariously.

Great.

As it was now rendered useless and they weren't returning to work today, anyway, Andrea removed it to place in her bag with the rest of her things. With nothing better to do, she dropped backwards to lay down, face toward the son.

It was 20-30 minutes later that Spencer jostled her arm.

"They're coming"

She sat up with a quiet grunt and could, in fact, see a dark blue truck rolling up the treeline toward them.

"Hey, kids- get separated form mom and dad?" Owen hung out the window as he pulled to a stop and then pushed open his door.

"Something like that," Spencer chortled, taking the hand Barry offered when he climbed out of his side.

"Both doin' alright?" Owen asked and lightly took Andrea's left elbow to inspect the damage.

"It's okay," Andrea shrugged him off at the same time Spencer turned.

"What happened out there?" he frowned at the trees.

"Anklyosaurous grudge match?" Andrea hazard a guess.

"Andrea was going to hop in the ATV so we could bolt, but one of them knocked it over. We got banged up dodging tails and feet..."

"Uh-huh," Owen gave him a strange, displeased look.

"They were coming after you?" Barry asked in surprise. "But why?"

"No. I don't think they noticed us very much. It seemed like we were in the wrong place at the wrong time," Spencer explained.

"Yeah, they were squaring off with each other, not us."

"Guess we can't just help you tip your ATV back up, hey?"

"No, it got hit in the wheel well," Andrea scratched at her hair. "So can we get out of here?"

"Sure," Owen nodded, looking her over. "Barr, you mind hoppin' in back so Andy's not banging around back there?"

"It's fine, Owen"

"Nah," he took her other shoulder to press her toward the truck.

"Cut it out. What?"

"He has a point- looks like you and me hanging on in the back," Barry winked at Spencer and nodded to the truck bed.

"See? Here."

Owen stepped forward to scoop up Andrea's bag, but she swatted at his hand and grabbed it herself. He threw his hands up in frustrated confusion but followed her to the truck when she started to climb in the passenger side.

"The hell's _your_ problem, Seaver?" he snapped once he, too, was in the cab and tugged the truck into drive.

"Nothing," Andrea bit but then tried to contain her attitude. "I just don't need to be _coddled_."

"I'm n-" he scoffed and rolled his yes in a loud sort of way. "So sue me. You went through some shit and looked like you needed a damn hug, but, yeah, _I'm_ the asshole here."

Andrea scowled.

"...of course I could use a hug," she agreed but sounded like she did not want one even a little bit. "But I'm at work."

Then she just sounded deflated.

Owen opened his mouth to tell her that she was being ridiculous, but he closed it before he could do so. He thought he got where she was coming from. She was at work, where she had shit ti do; she wanted to be strong and steady there, not a mess. He knew that as well as anyone- he needed to be focused at work with his girls. Plus, she was basically Spencer's superior; she had seniority, at least, and needed to be professional.

"Okay, I get it," he conceded. "Raincheck on the hug."

Andrea glanced over to see a boyish grin aimed her way from him, and she had to smile ...just a little.

That was the thing about Owen. He had a mix of boyish charm and a roguish attitude that was endearing and, she could admit, alluring. _Then_ he would turn around and be a dick- for instance, _she hated that she was starting to merely accept 'Flower Girl' as her on-again-off-again title -_ which could make him prickly company to be in. But, no matter if he was trying to be adorable or annoying, he was a genuinely _good_ person. So, if nothing else, he was more than an adequate fright to have around.

"Thanks," was the only response she could give to that.

"Course," he shrugged, casual and careless again. "Had me worried for a second when they said it was you out there, but then I figure it was nothing if they said medical wasn't dispatching."

"...it was close," she admitted.

"Mm ...can't forget to count a dragon into your plans when he lives in your backyard," Owen understood.

"... ...did you just quote Tolkien at me?" Andrea mused.

Owen laughed.

"What's with the tone of surprise? I know my Middle Earth ... ...anyway, it's a philosophy I live by. Any animal can be unpredictable no matter what you think you know," he sighed.

"You said a mouthful there," Andrea agreed.

They fell quiet a while, and Andrea looked down at her hands in her lap, stretching her fingers. They were no longer trembling, though they did ache. She turned them over to see how they were scraped- she rubbed some dirt out of a cut on her palm.

"Alright, Chief?" Owen watched this.

"Mmhm, just messy."

"And banged around," he added and reached across the bench seat to prod her under her eye. "And not even in the good way," he smirked.

Andrea snorted something that sounded like "idiot," and gingerly touched at her check and eye. She did not know what had happened there, but she momently remembered her ruined sunglasses.

"Think I'll look like a bad ass?"

"You ran from fighting dinosaurs- pretty sure you're a badass no matter how you bruise up," he told her in a matter-of-fact way.

"Raptor level bad ass?"

"That is only for a select few, but you're getting closer than the other flower children," he allowed with a self-satisfied tone.

"What about Spence?" she included fairly.

Andrea frowned when Owen rolled his eyes.

"What?"

"Nothing"

"What's your problem with Spencer?"

He was not someone who caused problem, so she couldn't imagine what would have put he and Owen at odds. In fact, she didn't think that they knew each other enough to even have troubles.

"It's nothing- Spencey is fine."

Andrea decided not to press. She liked Spencer and she liked Owen, but if they weren't BFFs, then it was their own problem.

Owen preferred she did not nag on about it, or he just would have told her his issue. Given how she'd reacted to his catering to her, she certainly would've been sour that he was peeved at the other plant nerd hadn't stepped up out there. He understood Andy was older and unofficially in charge as Senior staff, but good ole Spence hadn't been reluctant that it had been _her_ stepping into action and risking her neck.

What had Spencer done? Anything?

Owen knew this would've sounded chauvinistic to her. He wasn't trying to be; she _was_ badass today. It just _irked_ him that it didn't seem as through anyone'd had Andrea's back out there.

She as his friend- who'd looked out for her?

Fucking Spence.

"Dang- you caused a real incident, Flower Girl," Own gave a low whistle.

They'd drawn into range of the Raptor paddock where a medic van and an entire Asset Containment Unit squad were milling.

"...guess so."

"Do me a favor?" Andrea grabbed his arm before they got out.

"Another one?" he teased, half-grin in place. "Shoot."

"Don't call him Spencey to his face?"

He snorted.

"Sure"

They stepped out and were immediately ushered over to the gathered response team.

"Everybody safe or is anyone else out there?"

"Just us- our ATV is still out there. It's tipped up and has a ruined wheel."

"Transportation has a location on it; we'll meet maintenance out there to clear the area," a man in black-padded armor and toting a gun assured her.

"I'm sure that's not necessary. They weren't _attacking_ us," Andrea informed him.

"We're never too careful. One of the women who works with the Ankylosaurous is meeting us out there, as well. IF they're showing aggression, we want those handlers in on the situation," he reported.

"I don't know that it's a "situation"...it was probably about territory or some other social issue."

"Can you promise that?" the man snapped.

"...obviously not," Andrea conceded ruefully.

"Then leave it. We have protocol for asset aggression in the vicinity of humans. You treport to medical- we roll out in three!"

Thoroughly dismissed, Andrea did as he ordered and caught a ride back to a med clinic in the First Aid van.

"Hey," Owen caught the door before she slid it shut. "You left this in the truck," he thrust her bag at her. "You good?"

"Mmhmm, thanks"

"..want me to deck that jackass?" he offered, nodding at th ebalck vehicle loading up.

Andrea hummed in amusement.

"He has a big gun."

"I've faced worse"

She didn't doubt it.

"The offer's enough," she shrugged.

"Alright ...come by later if you need. I have beer."

"Thanks"

He gave her a quick nod and slid the door the rest of the way shut. He lightly hit the side of the van and backed off so they could go.

Andrea relaxed back in her seat.

So much for that perfect day for a job.


End file.
